1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to technology for the fabrication of a digital map that is used in navigation and augmented reality and, more particularly, to technology that is capable of efficiently generating a digital map in an area to which it is not easy to apply a common method of generating a digital map, such as the interior of a building, and providing walkers with the convenience of using navigation indoors as well as outdoors.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the development of communication technology, such as satellite communication technology, the popularity of vehicle navigation services has become widespread. Furthermore, new types of digital map-based services which combine photos and digital maps, such as Google Earth, Google Street View, Daum Road View and Naver Street View, have also been increasing.
Furthermore, as the number of smart phone users and the utilization of portable laptops as well as smart phones are sharply increasing, there are a growing need for and a growing interest in a navigation service for walkers as well as a navigation service for vehicle drivers. The current navigation services for walkers, however, utilize the navigation service technology for vehicles without modification. Since digital maps for vehicle navigation are used, only road information is provided, but information about the interiors of buildings and the attribute information of the buildings are not provided to walkers. Accordingly, the current positioning technology has a location error of several tens of meters and is not suitable for providing a navigation service for walkers.
Accordingly, it is not significantly difficult for a walker to find a destination building using current navigation services, but needs to find a desired location within a building by viewing the guide map for each floor or searching the Internet.
Accordingly, in order to provide a navigation service for walkers inside the interior of a large building, accurate positioning technology must be developed and also digital interior maps should be provided. Furthermore, in light of the characteristics of an indoor navigation service, a digital interior map needs to provide not only basic location information but also attribute information, such as information about the name and type of each store, and information about equipment for moving within each building (e.g., emergency exits, stairs, elevators, escalators, and moving walks).